588 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December s 9 , issi. 
house admirably indicate the character of the plant. The long 
slender arching or drooping branches produce fine clusters of pure 
white fragrant flowers from nearly every axil. On one we ob¬ 
served about a dozen clusters showing, which develope successively 
from the apex of the shoot downwards. A plant so graceful in 
habit and so floriferous at this - season of the year is extremely 
valuable, and will undoubtedly soon become a general favourite. 
Another handsome new plant of special utility for this season 
is Begonia socotrana, which has been flowering for the past two 
months, and is still in good condition. This has been frequently 
mentioned in the pages of the Journal, and it fully deserves all 
that has been said in its favour. It is one of the most distinct 
species of a. large and useful genus, the rich rose hue of the neatly 
formed freely produced flowers, the compact habit, and the large, 
thick, bright green, circular, shield-like leaves rendering it unique. 
The leaves vary a little in shape, but the majority are suggestive 
in form of small Nelumbian speciosum leaves, and on this account 
the plant is attractive even when not flowering. It will succeed 
either in a stove or intermediate temperature, the latter, we think, 
being rather preferable, as the flowers last longer and the growth 
is more robust. 
Crotons are largely represented, and have their distinctive 
colours finely developed. C. Hawkeri, w T hich has been figured in 
your pages, is very handsome, and in its way is quite unrivalled. 
The contrast of light yellow and dark green in the foliage is very 
striking, and several plants having now attained a good size show 
in the best possible manner how well the characters are preserved 
and even improved with age. C. Evansianus is quite a different 
type, with broader leaves richly marked with crimson, and C. 
Cronstadtii, with voluted leaves, is also highly coloured and 
beautiful; indeed, these form a capital trio worthy of cultivation 
in every collection. 
The charmingly elegant Asparagus plumosus nanus was in 
beautiful condition, several scores of plants being alike marked by 
the same dwarf habit, which renders it so valuable for decorative 
purposes. The finely divided leaves, the segments of which re¬ 
semble fine hairs in size, closely interlaced to form a gauze-like 
delicate leaf somewhat triangular in outline. These are admirably 
adapted for bouquets or buttonholes, and for table decoration 
small plants are especially well suited. Like other ornamental 
forms of the genus Asparagus this one can be grown in a lower 
temperature than that of a stove, though it appears to thrive 
either way ; but probably the cooler temperature would be prefer¬ 
able where the plants are to be employed for decoration. 
Turning to the Ferns, of which a large and choice collection is 
grown, there are many worthy of note, but two of the leading 
novelties can only be mentioned now. The first of these, the 
pretty Gymnogramma schizophylla (figured in this Journal page 
277, last volume), is making good progress, the largest specimen 
well showing the distinctive characters of the species. As grown 
in a basket, with the long finely divided and forked fronds grace¬ 
fully arching, the merits of the plant for such purposes cannot 
be over-estimated. Another good Fern, well suited for culture 
both in pots and baskets, is Lastrma Richardsi multifida. This 
when in good condition is a very beautiful variety with broad 
bright green fronds, the apex of which, with the tips of the pinme, 
are neatly crested, imparting a very distinct appearance to the 
Fern. The fronds have a fine arching habit and are of good 
length, frequently reaching 3 feet. It is of robust constitution 
and free growth—in fact, a really useful addition to the list of 
cultivated Ferns. 
Greenhouse plants were as bright as could be desired, many 
interesting old and new plants being in flower ; but they cannot 
be referred to now, as these notes have already acquired consider¬ 
able length, and to do justice to the occupants of the cool structure 
would need at least an equal length. However, readers may con¬ 
clude from the preceding that Christmas at Chelsea was far from 
dull in a horticultural poiut of view.— Saxon. 
Petrified Forests. —An American gardening magazine recently 
published the following :—“ In 1871 the petrified remains of a 
forest of Redwood, Oak, and other trees, thrown up from a lower 
level by volcanic action, and deeply imbedded in tufa, still with 
many portions of trunks some feet above the surface, were still to 
be found midway between Golden Pass and the Ute Pass, in the 
Rocky Mountains. It is now said to have disappeared, at least so 
far as anything is to be seen above the surface. It is said that 
another of these wonderful pre-historic series of remains in Sonoma, 
California, is fast disappearing before the zeal of relic-hunters. It 
is to be regretted that these wonderful remains of the mysterious 
past could not be preserved, and it may not yet be too late for 
the State to de something towards that end. The one in Colorado 
must have been buried very deep by the volcanic dust, as at the 
time referred to one of the trunks was hollow, and a string and a 
stone at the end was let down and found to go many feet beneath 
the surface. No doubt if this old forest could be dug out to the 
original surface of the ground many interesting relics of plants and 
animals might be brought to light.” 
PERISTROPIIE SPECIOSA. 
This may be considered as one of the most useful and orna¬ 
mental winter-flowering plants, and ODe that cannot be over¬ 
estimated for room and ons:rvatory decoration. The flowers 
are bright purple and of mi derate size, thus making themselves 
quite conspicuous amongst flowers of a duller colour. Most gar¬ 
deners will know it under the name of Justicia speciosa ; but our 
botanical brethren are not satisfied with old-fashioned names, 
but must be constantly altering them, so in order to keep pace 
with the times we must adopt the new one. Peristrophe speciosa 
was introduced to this country about 182G, and forms one of the 
greatest ornaments of the forests in the interior of Bengal. It is 
a plant easily propagated and easily grown, and should find a 
place in every garden where winter-flowering plants are appre¬ 
ciated. The individual flowers, like many other members of Acan- 
thacese, do not last very long, ibut one point in their favour is 
they are not all produced at one time, so that a plant lasts in 
beauty some few weeks in a cool airy house. I have tried the 
same plants two years in succession, and have come to the con¬ 
clusion that they are far from satisfactory the second year. The 
best way is to grow a new batch every season. When the young 
plants are fairly established the old ones may be thrown away. 
The best time to insert the cuttings is the latter end of February 
or beginning of March. If placed in a little bottom heat they 
soon form roots. The cuttings may be inserted singly in thumb 
pots, or four or five in large GO-size pots, in any light sandy soil. 
As soon as the cuttings are rooted they may be potted into large 
GO’s, and kept a little close for a few days till they begin to root, 
after which the ventilation must be increased. When they have 
filled their pots with roots the tops should be pinched out to 
induce a bushy habit. A few days after pinching they should be 
transferred to 48-pots, employing rich soil, consisting of good 
fibry loam, well-decomposed manure, a little leaf soil, and a dash 
of river sand. My best plants this season, and plants that flowered 
most profusely, were grown in 48-size pots ; but if plants of a 
larger size are required, then the third potting will be necessary 
into 32’s. It will be necessary to again pinch the points out of 
the leading shoots after they have become sufficiently long. 
Stopping them twice is all that will be required to insure good 
bushy plants. When the season is far enough advanced, and the 
plants well established, they may be grown in a cold frame for 
three or four months during the summer. By growing them cool, 
near to the glass, and well exposed to the sun, using no more 
shading than is absolutely necessary, I find they make stouter 
and shorter-jointed wood than when grown in heat. About the 
end of September if the weather is cold they should again be 
housed, giving a fair amount of air and liberal supplies of liquid 
manure. During their season of growth they should not be 
allowed to become dry at the roots ; if so, they soon lose their 
lower leaves and look unsightly when in flower. By introducing 
them to a little more heat they can soon be brought into flower ; 
but I find those plants that expand their flowers in a temperature 
of about G0° last longer in perfection than those that have been 
subjected to a higher temperature.—W. K. 
SILKWORMS AND SILKWORM-REARING.—4. 
(Continued from page 546.) 
Having described briefly in the preceding article the growth 
of the silkworm (Bombyx Mori) from the egg until it has arrived 
at maturity (fig. 95), I remark further that, owing to the fact of the 
grand increase in size taking place after the last change of skin, 
any deficiency of food during the conclusion of the caterpillar 
life inevitably stunts the growth. It may not prove fatal, but it 
would tend to reduce the size of the cocoon or to impoverish the 
silk. The worms appear to feed at this time, with little cessation, 
by night as well as by day, and if we are in a room that contains 
a number of them busily engaged, the noise caused by the quick 
movements of their jaws can be distinctly heard. Now, too, as 
the growth nears completion, the delicate creamy tint of the 
skin begins to be displaced by a hue of yellow or yellowish 
brown. There is also observable a greater transparency. As in a 
multitude of other caterpillars, the disinclination it showed to 
move while food was plentiful around it is changed for a singular 
activity. The silkworm now crawls hither and thither in a way 
that seems purposeless, having ceased to eat, and shows a par¬ 
ticular wish to climb up any vertical objects that may happen to 
